Francis, Duke of Guise

Francis, Duke of Guise (17 February 1519-24 February 1563) was the Duc de Guise and a prominent Catholic leader during the French Wars of Religion.

Biography
Francis de Guise was born in Bar-le-Duc, Lorraine, Kingdom of France in 1519, the son of Claude, Duke of Guise and Antoinette de Bourbon; he was cousins with Henry II of France. In 1545, he was seriously wounded during the siege of Boulogne during the Italian Wars, and he became Grand Chamberlain of France in 1551. In 1552, he successfully defended Metz from Emperor Charles V and won another victory at Renty in 1554, proceeding to invade Italy in 1557. In 1558, his capture of Calais from England was a huge propaganda victory for France, as England was now entirely expelled from French soil. The ultra-Catholic Guise would hold immense power during Catherine de Medici's regency in France, and he became the first leader of the Catholic cause during the French Wars of Religion. His army was victorious as the bloody Battle of Dreux in 1562, but he was assassinated during his siege of Orleans in 1563.